1. Field of Invention
An algae dryer defines an insulated and heated stationary drum within which is positioned a rotating arm extending an axial sprayer to spray a coat of algae on the inside of the drum with a second integrated opposing arm axially extending an offset scraper which engages the inner perimeter of the drum surface and removes the algae from the interior of the drum, depositing the dry algae scrapings into the bottom of the drum through a slot, further directing the harvested algae through an auger to a packaging or processing location.
2. Description of Prior Art
A preliminary review of prior art patents was conducted by the applicant which reveal prior art patents in a similar field or having similar use. However, the prior art inventions do not disclose the same or similar elements as the present dryer and harvester apparatus, nor do they present the material components in a manner contemplated or anticipated in the prior art.
Most prior art patent involve a continuous belt that acts to deliver a skimmed algae from a pool, generally off the top layer of the pool. These type patent include several embodiments. The most recent published application in found in U.S. Patent App. No. 201226061 to Shepherd, and it involves a harvester including a main moving belt, a plurality of rollers and a motor for driving the belt in a continuous loop. There is a reactor tank and a vacuum extractor for applying a vacuum over a width of the belt to extract the biomass and to dry the main moving belt to an oil extraction device. Other belt driven skimmer harvesters are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,465,600, 4,450,080, 4,255,261 and 3,951,805 to Dodd, U.S. Pat. No. 4,137,159 to Sawyer.
An algae filtration scrubber is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,837,991 to Norris. This algae scrubber system is used in a fish aquarium includes a partially submerged rotatable drum wrapped in plastic mesh as a anchor for algae growth, an effluent pipe shaped to match the perimeter of the rotating drum which withdraws water from a secondary tank and scrubs that water through the algae screen and returns the filtered water back to the secondary tank as refreshed. A centrifugal rotating disk assembly for waste water treatment, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,268,385 to Yoshikawa, includes a vertical disc made from a plurality of arcuate or radial impeller blades similar to a water wheel set over and partially within a trough filled with a waste water, the rotating disc exposing the water to air for the improved production of aerobic treatment by the greater surface of the exposed waste water to air.